Logging equipment



Dec. 22, 1942. MO E 2,305,630

LOGGING EQUIPMENT Filed May 24, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 22, 1942. J, MCNEIL LOGGING EQUIPMENT Filed May 24, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,zzww

Dec. 22, 1942. D. J. MCNEIL 2,305,630

LOGGING EQUIPMENT Fil-ed May 24, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Dec. 22, 1 942. u J, MCNEIL 2,305,630

LOGG ING EQUIPMENT Filed May 24; 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Dec. 22, 1942. D. J. MCNE 2,305,630

LOGGING EQUIPMENT Filed May 24, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Dec. 22, 1942 LOGGING EQUIPMENT Donald John McNeil, Portland, Oregn, asslgnor to Willamette Hyster Company, Portland, 0reg.,

a corporation of Oregon Application May 24, 1941, Serial No. 395,081

14 Claims.

My invention contemplates and provides certain improvements in tractor-and-fairlead-trailer logging equipments.

A tractor-and-fairlead-trailer logging equipment, as today commonly and widely used in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere, has at its essentials: (a) a tractor of the'track laying or crawler type; (b) a trailer (hitched to the tractor) having a pair of spaced-apart wheels of the crawler type; (c) a fairlead carried at a high point on and to the rear of the trailer; (d) a winch or hoist carried by the tractor, and (e) a line (usually in the nature of a more or less flexable cable) extending from the winch to, through and beyond the fairlead for attachment to a pay load in the form of one or more logs.

On the indrawing of the line, pursuant to appropriate operation of the tractor winch, the pay load is moved toward the trailer. If the pay load consists of a plurality of logs, they are automatically bunched, and finally the pay load has its front end uplifted, for transportation, to a position somewhat lower than the fairlead. Nowadays it is common practice (1) to have the fairlead carried at the high rear end of an upwardly and rearwardly inclined boom, (2) to have the lower front end of the boom hitched to the trailer at a point which is at a distance above the ground closely approximating the distance above the ground of the axes of the tractor and trailer wheels, (3) to have the boom supported on and by the wheels through the agency of an arch and a tongue which conveniently are of generally wish-bone shape, and (4) to have the tractor winch located more or less directly above the aforesaid hitch between tractor and trailer.

One of the very important objects of my present invention is to provide such a tractor-andfairlead-trailer equipment and more particularly a trailer unit thereof, with pay load supporting and towing means so arranged and coordinated as to increase, or maximize, the degree to which the weight of the tractor is made effective in producing crawling traction between the ground and the endless treads or wheel tracks of such tractor. Such object, stated in another way, is to minimize the extent to which the pay load, acting through the trailer, is permitted to exert upon the tractor lifting forces which impair its tractive efliciency.

Another important object of my present invention is to have the pay load supporting means, functioning as related in the last preceding paragraph, in the nature of a harness comprisacting between the pay load and a relatively high point on the trailer, and the other line acting between the pay load and a relatively low point on the trailer; each of said lines being capable of having its effective length modified when necessary or desirable.

Novel and important features of my invention, as incorporated in a preferred embodiment herein illustrated and described, are:

(a) Each of the two pay load controlling lines is operatively associated with its own winch,- each such winch deriving its power from the tractor power plant.

(b) One of the two pay load controlling lines extends from its individual winch to the pay load through the usual fairlead carried at the upper rear end of the trailer boom; the other of said lines being extended from its appropriate winch through an appropriate pulley located at a low point on the trailer, e. g., at or near the low front end of the boom.

(c) The pay load controlling "line which exten'ds through the high fairlead having power, from the tractor engine, applied thereto through the agency of a winch located at the rear end of the tractor; the other of such pay load controlling lines having tractor engine power applied thereto through the agency of a hoist located at the front end of the tractor.

(d) The pay load controlling line which extends through the highfairlead being directly connected, in the usual manner, with the winch on the rear end of the tractor; the other of said pay load controlling lines being connected through a relay winch with the hoist on the front end of the tractor.

(e) The relay winch being appropriately mounted on the front end of the trailer, e. g., in and on the front end of the boom.

(j) The relay winch being releasable at will from the drivers station on the tractor.

These and other features, objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the following detailed description, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings, of which there are five sheets:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a tractorand-fairlead-trailer equipment embodying the present invention, the forward end of a log supported by the trailer being illustrated;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of a portion of the trailer illustrated in Fig.

1 with a ratchet cover removed to show a ratchet and pawl arrangement. and with an inspection plate removed;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevatlonal view showing the opposite side of the portion of the trailer illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a further enlarged fragmentary view showing a section taken on the plane of the line of Fig. 2;

5 is a fragmentary sectional vlewtaken on the offset planes of the broken line of Fig.

and,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken as on the plane of the line Ei-t of Fig. l, and showing a ratchet wheel and pawl mechanism.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the numeral it indicates generally a"tractor of the track laying type, and the numeral ii indicates generally a logging arch or fairlead-trailer. The tractor is connected to the trailer by hitch it; The tractor comprises the conventional principal parts including a body it, tracks it, engine compartment 555, and an overhead shield or canopy it. For the purpose of simplifying the drawings, the conventional tractor controls have not been illustrated.

A power Winch ii is mounted on the tractor frame, and is arranged to be driven in conventional manner by drive mechanism, not illustrated, from the rear power take-ofi of the tractor. Winch control levers it and is ar arranged to manipulate the winch l? in such manner that the winch can be positively driven in either direction or may be locked against paying out line. Locked, as just explained, the winch acts to support a pay load, such as log 2@, in the position shown, through the agency of line 2 l.

Line or cable 2! extends from the drum of the winch ll over a reaction roller 22, which is journaled in a bracket 23, carried by a boom 25. A line guard 25 is mounted over the roller 22 to prevent the line M from being pushed aside in case oi encounter with branches or other obstruc, tions, while passing through the woods, and also to check the whip of the line in case of its breakage.

A lin guard 28 is also provided hear the rear or upper end of the boom 2t, and a fair lead 2?! is secured in position in the extreme rear upper portion of the boom.

The fair lead 2'5 comprises a frame 28, which is preferably a steel casting, with a roller 29 journaled with its axis in a horizontal position, and a pair of smaller rollers so journaled with their axes in upright planes, mounted rearwardly oi the horizontal roller 29.

The outer or free end ofthe line 25 is provided with a conventional choker lit to encircle and en gage a load such as the log 29.

The boom it is connected by tongue 31d and arch 35 with the usual pair of track. laying wheels of which one only is indicated at Each track laying wheel is journaled to the tongue as at 33, and the tongue connects with the boom seme what near its forward or lower end. The lower ends of'the arch are articulated with the tongue at points above and immediately adjacent the axes of trunnions the upper portion of the arch being attached to the boom well to the front of the fairlead.

The equipment as described up to this point is or may be substantially conventional.

The illustrated equipment includes a relatively light power hoist 38, mounted on a bracket on the front of the tractor it, and adapted to be aeoaoso illustrated, from the front power take-oh of the tractor engine.

The hoist 38 is provided with a suitable clutch til controlled by an operating handle ll placed conveniently to the operator.

an idler pulley 12 is mounted on a framework Ll carried by the tractor body it, and a light line to is arranged to run from the drum of the hoist 38 over the idler pulley 6'22, and thence rearwardly through a tube :35, and through a fairlead as mounted on the rear of the shield or canopy 88. In practice a three-eihths inch flexible stranded cable has proved to be suitable for use as the line it. The tairlead includes a roller fill mounted with its axis horizontal, and a pair of spaced apart rollers id mounted with their axes in substantially upright planes.

From the fairlead it the cable d5 extends rearwarclly and through a second three roller fairlead til mounted on the guard 25, as best illustrated in Fig. 3. The fair lead lfi'comprises a pair oi substantially upright rollers 5d, and a horizontal roller 5i mounted in a fabricated st'eel bracket 52. From the fairlead t9 the line til passes obliquely downwardly and is wound on a reel The line lli is secured to the reel 53 as by means of a sheath clamp 5% applied to the end of the cable and inserted in a recess 5?, see Figs. 3 and 4, provided in the hub of the reel to receive the sheath.

The reel 53 has splined connection with a shaft 58 which is journaled in ball bearings 59 and 68 carried. by the side plates of the boom 2%. The

inner race of the bearing 59 is mounted on a collar 65 which is fitted onto the splined shaft 58, this collar til being provided to transmit the thrust of a nut d2 through the hub $3 of the reel 53, thence through the collar 5i to a pinion 66,, which is splined to the shaft 53, and fits against a shouldered ofiset '85 in the splines of the shaft 58.

A widened offset in a sid plate ii of the boom 28 to receive a toothed drum $6 is provided by means'of a ring 5?, which is welded in position around the edge oi an opening to in the side plate ll of the boom. A cover plate is secured in position over the ring El by means of cap screws ill, which are positioned at fairly close intervals about the ring 6?, and are arranged to have threaded engagement with the side plate it oi the boom.

The cover plate is preferably reinforced for stifiness by means of a plurality of ribs it, see Figs. 3 and 4, which, in thewelded fabricated structure illustrated, abut their inner ends against a hug ring l3 which is also welded to the plate 69.

A shaft it is mounted in the hub ring it to have a close fit therein. one end of the shaft it being formed with an enlarged head portion it to contact the outer face or" the hub ring A grease fitting lb communicates with a grease passage ll through which rease may be forced into the hollow hub ill or the toothed drum 58. The inner race of a ball bearing '19 has a press fit on the shaft i the outer race of the bearing being mounted in a groove in the end or the hub V8. The other end of the shaft it, i. e., the end away from the enlarged head iii, is reduced in driven through conventional drive means, not

diameter as at 38, and is inserted in a boss ti welded in an opening in the side plate :32 of the boom, and is secured in position therein by means of a nut $33. A ball bearing Ed has its inner race pressed onto the shaft i l, the outer race thereof being inserted in a groove in the hub is.

The drum to is provided with a ring oi teeth 535 which are in toothed engagement the I 2,806,630 teeth of the pinion 64 so that when the shaft 68 is rotated by the drawing of the cable from the reel 53, by means of the front hoist 88, the toothed drum 66 will be powerfully rotated due to the reduction gearing provided in the pinion 64 and the ring of teeth 85.

The amount of line 86 carried by the drum 66 is relatively small as compared to the capacity of the winch II, but such capacity is adequate for the purpose intended since the drum 68 is required to operate through relatively short distances, such as in drawing the load to a proper towing position as in Fig. 1., after the load has been brought in close by the line 2 I.

The line 86 has a ferrule 81 secured to an end thereof, the ferrule being secured in a recess 88. see Figs. 4 and 5, in the drum 66. An opening III is provided in the boom side plate 82 forservice and inspection of the line 86 and the drum 66, and is provided with a removable cover plate II6 which is secured in position by bolts Ill.

From the drum 66 the line 86 passes downwardly, see Fig. l, and around a deflecting roller 88 journaled between the sides of the boom. This roller 88 serves to deflect the line 88 to a plane substantially level with the hitch I2. From the deflecting roller 88, the line 86 passes rearwardly through an opening, not illustrated, in the rear face of the boom, the line 86 being provided at its outer or free end with a conventional choker 00. V

The end of the shaft 68, opposite to that carrying the reel 58, is splined as at 8|, see Fig. 4, and has a splined ratchet wheel 82 mounted thereon and secured in position by means .of a nut 03. A awl mounting plate 84, see Figs. 2, 4 and 6, is bolted to a bearing support ring 86, and has a housing 86 welded thereto to form a protective cover over the ratchet wheel 82. A pawl support cylinder 81 is welded to the support plate 94 and to the guard 96, and has a pawl 98 slidably mounted therein, the inner end of the pawl being adapted to engagethe teeth of the ratchet wheel 82 as best illustrated in Fig. 6.

A coil spring 98 is held in compression between the end of the cylinder 81 and a shoulder on the pawl 88, to press the pawl downwardly into engagement with one of the teeth of the ratchet 92. The outer end of the pawl 08 is flattened as at I00, and is provided with a slotted opening IOI in which rides a stud I02 carried by a pawl release lever I08.

The pawl release lever I03 is pivoted on the mounting plate 94, and is urged by a spring pressed plunger I06 normally to hold the lever I08 in an unoperated position to permit the spring 08 to hold the pawl 98 in latched engagement with one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel 92.

An adjusting screw I is threaded in a support I06 welded to the support plate 06. The adjusting screw I05 is positioned to engage the lever I03 and to limit its movement under the spring pressure of the plunger I06. A second adjusting screw I 01 is threaded into the end of the pawl 88, and is adapted to project into the slotted opening IN to limit the movement of the pawl 98.

A lanyard II 0 is connected to the free end of the pawl release lever I03 and passes through an eye III on the cable guard 25, and thence through an eye II2 to a position adjacent the operator, see Fig. 1.

desination, it is lowered just before the tractorand-fairlead-trailer equipment comes to rest, by releasing the winch I1 and hoist 38 to free running condition. As the equipment moves ahead a short distance with the winch I1 and hoist 88 thus released, the lines 2I through the fairlead, and 86 around the reaction roller 89, are withdrawn to extend behind the trailer. The lines 2I and 86 then may be released from the pay load, whereupon the equipment is ready for a return trip.

The lines 2I and 86 preferably are permitted to drag behind the trailer in this partially withdrawn condition on the return trip. This pr cedure has the extremely desirable result of providing for engagement of the line 86 with a subsequent pay load without manipulation of the drum 66. The winch I1 and drum 66 are secured by their respective ratchets on the return trip to prevent further unwinding of the lines 2I and 86.

The dragging of the lines on the return trip is not objectionable since the line wear occasioned thereby is negligible, and there is littlelikelihood of the lines becoming snagged in passing through ordinary logging country.

In 'case it should be necessary or desirable to disconnect the tractor I0 from the trailer II, the line can be unwound entirely from the reel 58 by means of the hoist 38, whereupon the ferrule 66 can be removedfrom the recess .51 to disconnect the line 46 from the reel 58.

The rest of the line 64 then may be wound onto the hoist 88. The lanyard IIO may be released from the eye H2, and the line 2I wound completely onto the winch I I.

By disconnecting the hitch I2, the tractor I8 is thereupon completely separated from the trailer II.

In the operation of the equipment, the load to be transported, which may be either a single large log such as the log 20 illustrated in Fig. 1, or a plurality of smaller logs, is lifted at least partially into a load carrying position by means of the winch II, which-operates the line 2| through the fairlead 21 to draw in and raise the load 20 by means of the choker 8| which engages the load in well known manner.

Either before or after the load is raised to the carrying position as illustrated in Fig. 1,

the choker 80, attached to the line 86, is placed around the load 20. The line 86 is then drawn wheel 92. This ratchet wheel, being splined to When a pay load has been transported to its the shaft 58, securely holds the drum 66 against counter-rotation by means of the splined pinion 64. After the line 86 is drawn in to its required position, and secured by the pawl 98, the light cable 44 may be slacked ofi slightly, as by releasing the drum of the front take-up winch 38. This permits the cable 44 to pay out and sag slightly between the fair leads 46 and 49, and thereby permits free articulation at the hitch I2, when the apparatus travels over rough terrain.

It will be noted, Fig. 1, that the line-of-draft from the hitch id to the point of application to the load at the eye of the choker 99, is sub stentielly s, straight do, end is but little higher at the eye then the hitch. Frequently it is unnecessary to raise the lead es high as the position of l, whicl may he considered as an extrerne illustration or use height at which the tow ing line is attached the load.

Therefore, any increase in drug stresses such as be ceased by the load encountering obstructions when "roving over rough ground, does not tend to tractor to any noticeable or materiel extent. For all practical purposes, the full tractive effect of the tractor is thus made available even the most severe Insulting conditions.

it is apparent from Fig. 1 that a major portion of the weight of the trailer ii is located forwardly of a vertical plane through the trailer trunnions El. This essists counter-balancing the weight of the load which tends to raise the rear of the tractor, particularly since the weight of the load as acts through c short leverage with respect to its iulcriun, the trunn ous The line enters rue drum or the winch ii b above the hitch end exerts a lifting force forwardly at the hitch E2, tending to raise the front end of the tractor, due to the reaction-wheel principle of the roller These two forces, therefore, counter-balance each other, at least to a degree well within the practical limits allowed by the erect weight of the tractor itself.

The drag or horizontal stresses are carried entirely by the line end the tractor is thus essured of adequate trective efiect irrespective of the nature of the terrain being traversed, or of any unusual increase in drag resistance by the load.

My invention sen be readily embodied in existing types of logging trailers, and greatly increases the effectiveness of such equipment, particuiarly when operating over dificult terrain. In practice it has been. found possible to proceed directly through rough ruountamons country with out stopping or releasing the load under conditions, which, without my present invention, would have been impossible.

The use of my invention on a logging trailer tends to eliminate any jack-knifing tendency be= tween the tractor and the trailer, and resolves the lifting and the drag stresses into their respective components to prevent the variable drag component-s from reducing the trective efiect of the tractor.

While I illustrated e preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and do not wish to be limited to the precise details oi construction as set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim'as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a logging transport including a tractor, a trailer, an inclined boom having a high rear end joined to the tractor at its lower front end and axially supported on the trailer: as winch upon the end of said tractor, a second winch upon said boom, load hoisting means actuated by said first winch, load towing means actuated by said second winch, and a reaction point for each of said means, located at the upper end and at the lower end, respectively, of said boom, so to distribute the :forces due to the weight and the drag of the load respecthe boom to have a, moment around the trailer axis tending to decrease the eiiective weight of the tractor, but so that the drug reaction of the load will pass substantially through the mounting axis or the boom.

2. in a trailer to be drawn by etractcr in a logging transport, the combination with laterally separated ground supports, a load-carrying connection between and pivoted on sold supports, a high fairlead on the load-carrying connection rearwardly of a vertical transverse plane through the pivotal connection between the iced-carrying connection and the ground supports, and e. winch operated line leading out through the high rulriced, oi a drag line mounting carried by the loadcarrying connection materially below and ahead or" the iairlead, and a line adjustably connected to said line mounting for transmitting drag stresses to the trailer materially colour 9. horizontal plane through the mislead during a load hauling movement of the transport.

3. A trailer to be coupled to the rear end of a power-winch-carrying tractor to form a logging transport, the trailer having separated ground supports, a load carrying connection between and pivoted on said supports, 9. high fairlead on the load carrying connection, recirvvardly or a vertical transverse plane through the pivotal connection between the load carrying connection and the ground supports, and at line to lead from the winch through the fairlead; or a winding drum mounted on the load carrying connection below the fairlead, a line deflector mounted on the load carrying connection below the winding drum, a line from the winding drum around the deflector, force-multiplying means in driving connection with the winding drum, and means for locking the winding drum in position.

i. In a logging transport, the combination with a tractor, a trailer having separated ground supports, a load carrying connection between, and pivoted on, said supports, a. winch on the tractor, means for driving the winch, a high fairlead on the load carrying connection, and a line leading from the Winch through the fairlead; of a wind lng drum rotatably mounted on the load carrying connection below the iairlead, a line leading tively, that only the weight oi the load will ceusc iii from the winding drum at a low point of the trailer and adapted to be secured to a load, forcemultiplying means in driving connection with the winding drum, a reel mounted to drive the ionic-multiplying means, power driven, relatively light, line take-up'means on the tractor, a relatively light line leading from said take-up means to said reel, and releasable loci; means mounted to lock the winding drum through the forcernultiplying means.

5. In a logging transport, the combination with a tractor, a trailer having separated ground sup ports, a load carrying connection between, and pivoted on, said supports, a winch on the tractor, means for driving the winch, a high fairlead on the load carrying connection, and a line leading from the winch through the fairlead; of a winding drum rotatably mounted on the load carrying connection, a line deflector on the load carrying connection below the winding drum, a line leading from the winding drum around the line deflector, force-multiplying means in driving connection with the winding drum, a reel' mounted to drive the reduction gearing, line take-up means mounted on the tractor, to have a power driven condition and a free running condition, a line leading from the reel to the takeup means, and an elevated idler mounted on the tractor to support the last mentioned line in elevated position between the take-up means and the reel.

6. In a logging trailer to be coupled at its forward end to the rear of a tractor to form a logging transport, and having laterally separated ground supports, a load-carrying connection between and pivoted on said supports, a high fairlead on the load-carrying connection, a winch operated line leading out. from the iairlead to suspend a load in a partially raised position, the load creating combined elevational and drag stresses during a load hauling movement of the transport, the improvement which consists of a winch operated drag line extending rearwardly at a low level from a line deflector mounted at a low point on the trailer for connection at a low point to the load to carry the drag stresses, whereby to maintain the load in suspension directly beneath the high fairlead during a load hauling movement of the transport.

7. In a logging transport, the combination with a tractor, a trailer having separated ground sup ports, a load carrying connection between and pivoted on said supports, a high fairlead on the rear of the load carrying connection, and means for supports a load in partially raised position beneath said fairlead; of a drum carried by said load carrying connection, a line leading from said drum to a low point of a supported load, a line deflector mounted at a low point of said load carrying connection to deflect said line, and means for securing said line in an adjusted position around the line deflector, to transmit horizontal tresses generated in moving the load to the tractor in a low plane without substantial tilting effect on said trailer during a load hauling movement of the transport.

8. For combination with a tractor in a logging transport a trailer having separated ground supports. said vehicle having a hollow fabricated boom pivotally supported in upwardly and rearwardly inclined position between the ground supports, a fairlead mounted on a high part of the boom, and a line passing through the fairlead and adapted to support a load of logs in partially raised condition beneath the fairlead; of a winding drum mounted on the boom below the fairlead, locking means mounted to lock the drum in adjusted position, a cable deflector mounted on the boom below the drum, and a line leading from the drum and passing beneath the deflector, the line being adapted to be connected to a relatively low part of a load supported beneath the fairlead to transmit horizontal stresses generated in moving the load, to the tractor in a low plane without substantial lifting effect on said tractor.

9. For combination with a tractor in a logging transport, a trailer having separated ground sup- .3

ports, said trailer having a hollow fabricated boom pivotally supported in upward rearwardly inclined position between the ground supports, a fairlead mounted on a high part of the boom,

and a line passing through the fairlead and adapted to support a load of logs in partially raised'suspended condition beneath the fairlead, the load creating combined elevational and drag stresses during a transporting operation; of a second line connected to alow point on the load and to a low point on said trailer, said line being adjusted to a length to carry the drag stresses and thereby to maintain the load in substantially direct suspension beneath the fairlead, against the eflect of drag stresses during a load hauling movement of the transport.

10. In a logging transport including a tractor having an engine, a winch on the end of the tractor operatively connected to the tractor engine, a relatively light hoist mounted on the tractor operatively connected to the tractor engine, a trailer, an inclined boom pivoted to the tractor at its lower end and" supported over the trailer: a load hoisting line leading from the winch through a reaction point at the upper end of the boom to a load, and reacting downwardly at the reaction point to lessen the tractive efiect of the tractor,

a winding drum on the boom, a line leading from the winding drum to the load and reacting substantially horizontally in a line materially below the upper end of the boom, force-multiplying means operatively connected to the winding drum, and means connecting the light hoist on the tractor to the force-multiplying means to operate the winding drum with mechanical advantage.

11. In a logging transport including a tractor having an engine, a winch on the end of the tractor operatively connected to the tractor engine, a relatively light hoist mounted on the tractor operatively connected to the tractor engine, a trailer, an inclined boom pivoted to the tractor at its lower end and supported over the trailer: a load hoisting line leading from the winch through a reaction point at the upper end of the boom to a load, and reacting downwardly at the reaction point to lessen the tractive effect of the tractor, a winding drum on the boom, a line leading from the winding drum, through a reaction point at the lower end of the-boom, to the load and reacting substantially horizontally between the reaction point and the load, force-multiplysupports, a load carrying connection between,

and pivoted on, said supports, a winch on the tractor, means for driving the winch, a high fairlead on the load carrying connection, and a line leading from the winch through the fairlead; of a winding drum rotatably mounted on the load carrying connection below the iairlead, a line leading from the winding drum at a low point of the trailer, and adapted to be secured to a load, force-multiplying means in driving connection with the winding drum, a reel mounted to drive the force-multiplying means, power driven relatively light line take-up means on the tractor, a relatively light line leading from said take-up means to said reel, releasable lock means mounted to lock the winding drum through the forcemultiplying means, and drive release means on the power driven relatively light line take-up means on the tractor to free the relatively light line between the tractor and the trailer with the winding drum in locked, line holding position, for free articulation between the tractor and trailer.

13. In a trailer to be coupled at its forward end to the rear of a tractor for logging transport and having a beam fulcrumed on laterally spaced supports rolling over the ground, with a low for ward tractor coupling and a high rearward fairlead, and a winch operated line passing downwardly from the fairlead to suspend the forward eeeeese tweeter at the trailer hitch.

1e. a, trailer vehicle te lee emlgxleci at its 150% were encl m the weer sf e emcee velllele for legismneeerb end hel /Tm; Ream lulemmed en la, H313}; synced support walling ever the ground,

lew leeward vehicle email rearward fairleacl, and e, winch epemted line passing downwardly from the mislead to suspend the forward end of the load during may lead travel of the transport, the improvement wl'llels comprises a drag line extending forwardly at lee level from attachment t0 the frent ef the lead to attachment with strueisure on one ef said ve hlcles, for hearing, the male 151"" sixessee 01E lead to relieve the susmmllng e e? stress during the pay load. @Efi-HSEHJFR whereby t0 lees the tendency ei lead 12pm susgendl cable and fairleecl 30 met rfie be? reexwerclly album its iulcmm end. the E- 22 5312521 113mm rear 0:? the may "eel me at all; eeupllngg 

